Commander Bast

About
this scene:

This scene was to
come right after the scene where Han Solo encounters Jabba
the Hutt in Docking Bay 94, and right before our heroes enter
Docking Bay 94 for the first time. Here we see Darth Vader and
Commander Bast talking together regarding the missing droids,
Leia's resistance to her interrogation, and Governor Tarkin's
"foolish plan". It is here we see also that Vader
may not feel so confident in Tarkin's command, since he seems
to go along with Bast's bold criticism of Tarkin.

Why it
was cut:

Most
likely this scene was cut for time considerations. It is not
crucial to the story, and doesn't really add anything new to
the plot. Cutting it shaved a minute or twofrom the finished film.

Where
it shows up:

The novel
and the comic book both include this short scene. Photos from
it have appeared on Topps trading cards as well as in various
other locations. This entire scene was actually included in
the Star Wars Holiday Special, and can be seen there
featuring overdubbed dialogue to fit the story from that TV
feature. A couple of the shots here are actually taken from
the Holiday Special.